


In Sickness, To Health

by afteriwake



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Caring Mycroft Holmes, Domestic Fluff, Established Anthea/Mycroft Holmes, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Married Anthea/Mycroft Holmes, Mycroft Holmes Has Feelings, Mycroft Holmes Has a Heart, POV Mycroft Holmes, Sick Anthea, Sick Character, Sickfic, Stubborn Anthea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 22:05:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13280781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: It’s time for him to take care of her for a change.





	In Sickness, To Health

**Author's Note:**

  * For [solrosan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/solrosan/gifts).



> Written for **solrosan** as an extra treat for the Winter 2017 round of Holmestice. It answers the prompt "[Caring for each other while ill.](http://penaltywaltz.tumblr.com/post/137274126169/nonsexual-acts-of-intimacy-select-from-the)"

He had noticed she was restless as she slept next to him, mumbling in her sleep and kicking off the duvet and the sheets. When he touched her she was soaked with sweat and warm to the touch.

He _knew_ he should have insisted she take leave to get her flu shot.

Andrea was always so ready to take care of him, to be there when he needed her, that more often than not she forgot to take care of herself. Even with their marriage and the vows to love each other and, more importantly, take care of _each other_ in sickness and in health she would still put him first and herself second. Didn’t she know by now he couldn’t live without her? Wouldn’t want her in a position where he could lose her? She had thawed the Ice Man’s heart, and if anything happened to her it would refreeze in a second.

He had made his vows to Andrea for life. There would be no other wife for him.

He got out of their bed, heading down to the cavernous kitchen. It had food now, a somewhat aggravating improvement at times. He had already gained an entire trouser size since the end of his honeymoon, but Andrea seemed to prefer some more meat on his bum, so he supposed it was worth it. He rummaged through the freezer to see if there was an ice pack of any sort there that he could wrap in a dishtowel and put on her forehead to cool her raging fever. 

Unfortunately, neither of them had thought to get one in all the years they’d resided under the same roof. He made a mental note to get a variety, and if that meant his frozen yogurt had to go in the bin, so be it. The bag of frozen peas would have to suffice for the moment.

He also got a glass of cold water, and he’d try and wake her up and have her sip some. Dehydration could be a problem stemming from whatever she was ill with or an unfortunate side effect; either way, he would make sure there was water for her, should she want some.

And she absolutely was _not_ getting out of bed to lift a finger once day broke. He could very well manage himself from home and manage taking care of her at the same time. Multitasking was something he excelled at. If she argued...there were restraints from when his brother had been withdrawing from his overdose in his possession. He would threaten the use of them.

He took the peas and wrapped them in a dishtowel, and then got a glass of cool but not too cool water and took them back upstairs to the bedroom. Andrea was curled up in a fetal position, and he sat on her side of the bed, laying a gentle hand on her arm. “Have a sip of water,” he said when her eyes opened, a bit unfocused. “You’re feverish.”

“Work,” she got out before he pressed the water into her hands as she sat up.

“I can manage without you for a single day, or longer, if our illness continues into the week,” Mycroft said, brushing her hair back. “I managed before you, you know.”

“Not well,” she said, and he smiled at that.

“No. But the world will not fall if you let your husband...baby you a bit,” he said. “You take good care of me, often too good. Let me return the care to you.”

“I should have had that flu shot,” she mumbled before having some water.

“Then it’s a good thing you made me have mine,” he said, smiling a little wider. “One of us will survive your illness and provide the absolute best care they can.”

She leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You should take the day off too. The only thing on your agenda of any importance is a conference call with Belgium about trade issues.”

“I could always put the delegation off and make them think they need to sweeten the pot,” he said thoughtfully. “The other work I can do in my study while you rest. And you will call me if you need anything.”

“Is that a request or a demand?” she asked with a tinge of humour in her voice.

“It’s simply the way it will be. I will take care of you for a change.”

“Thank you,” she said.

He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her hair. “Do you have the energy to take a cool shower? You’ve soaked your pyjamas through.”

She nodded slightly. “A cool shower sounds lovely. It’d be better if I had company.”

“I suppose I should go to make sure you don’t fall asleep. And I don’t think you have the strength to wash your hair at the moment.”

“Company in the shower is better than I imagined,” she said, pulling away and smiling. She leaned in and kissed his cheek before disentangling from him. “I’ll see you in the shower. You might want to put the peas somewhere where they won’t get the bed wet.”

He nodded and watched her shuffle towards the shower. He set the peas on her nightstand and then set the glass he’d managed to get a hold of again next to them before standing. He knew this would not be a typically enjoyable shower, but nonetheless, it showed she was letting him take care of her. If nothing else, that was a step in the right direction.

Now he just had to hope she allowed him to continue for the duration of her illness.


End file.
